I introduced the
Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act, legislation that would impose sanctions and
travel restrictions on Vietnamese nationals who are complicit in human rights
abuses against other Vietnamese.

This bill is a
critical step in the fight to strengthen the freedoms of the people of Vietnam.
Until Vietnam releases all its political prisoners and demonstrates respect for
its citizens’ basic human rights, the United States must continue to put
pressure on their oppressive regime. I’ve introduced this bill with the goal of
helping lift up its citizens, and the hope that one day our two nations may have
the strong relationship many of us in the United States and Vietnam desire.

The Vietnam Human
Rights Sanction Act would:

Direct the
President to compile a list of Vietnamese nationals deemed to be complicit in
human rights abuses in Vietnam, prohibit those individuals from entering the
United States, and impose financial sanctions on them.

Express the sense
of Congress that, due to Vietnam’s atrocious record on religious freedom, the
Secretary of State should re-designate Vietnam a “country of particular concern”
(CPC) with respect to religious freedom under the International Religious
Freedom Act.

This bill is
cosponsored by Sens. John Boozman (R-AR), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Marco Rubio
(R-FL).